The 28-year-old joined Newcastle in January 2012 and made a superb start to life with the Magpies, scoring 13 goals in 14 appearances over the remainder of that season and winning the goal of the season award for a brilliant strike against Chelsea.

He scored eight more last term but has not been on target in the Premier League since 7 April and was denied on several occasions by Cardiff goalkeeper David Marshall during Saturday's 2-1 victory.

Pardew told The Chronicle: "I felt sorry for Papiss in Cardiff on Saturday.

"I thought two or three things could have dropped for him during the game but they didn't.

"So, hopefully he can score when he is away with Senegal this week. That would do him the world of good.

"They have a massive game against the Ivory Coast (the first leg of a World Cup qualifier) and it's one I'm looking forward to watching."

Newcastle's last 12 league goals have all been scored by Frenchman but Pardew said: "We have a group of players who are very good, it's just strange that the French guys are getting goals."

Readers' Comments

I

t's wrong to be making a joke out of Bender's name at the expense of gay people. It's the kind of childish, uncivilised thing that Football365 would deride and ridicule if it was another media outlet saying. Why is there a need for jokes like this? Does it make your writers feel like men? F365 might suggest that I 'lighten up', but it is genuinely traumatic for people who have been oppressed all their lives to be the butt of jokes, and to be told...

ou can't blame De Gea for wanting to leave, he has enough to do in front of goal as it is as well as taking on the role of Man Utd's version of Derek Acorah in trying to contact and organise a defence that isn't there.